Stephanie's Shelving & Stacking

We love our space for its abundant natural light and cooling cross breezes. We have been fortunate enough to score a traditional Chicago-style apartment, and the space has paired well with our love of well-made vintage pieces. Most everything in our home was either given to us secondhand, purchased from a secondhand retailer, or made by us. Converting our rented space into a home has taken a lot of time and patience, as well as a bit of DIY. This approach has left us, at times, short a set of dining chairs or proper storage, however, in the end, our persistence has been rewarded with a home full of great pieces and fond memories.

Biggest Challenge of Living in a Small Space

Not only have we been challenged to adapt to a small space, but it is also a space we do not own and therefore cannot change. In our small space, we have had to figure out ways to make every square inch functional for the both of us. We live by shelving and stacking. Our tiny closets and limited cupboards are stuffed and organized to within an inch of their lives. That being said, our challenge has also been an advantage; it has had a strong influence on the quality of our furnishings. Since we are limited by our given parameters, we have been forced to be selective about what we bring into our home. If it isn’t functional or of any emotional value, we just can’t have it around. We've morphed into people who can live without a lot, and make the most of what we have.

If I am the Grand Prize winner of Small Cool, the item(s) or project(s) from my home design wishlist that I'd like to spend my winnings on are:

We would put the prize money toward a down payment on our first home. We love our current apartment, but often find ourselves wishing we could do more to restore and customize it. We have wild dreams of one day buying a fixer-upper of our very own and bringing it back to life.